1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to beauty parlor or spa accessories, and to footrests or the like, and particularly to a foot support for supporting a client's foot while administering a pedicure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typical pedicure spas include a seat for the recipient of the pedicure, a basin or bath, often equipped with whirlpool jets for soaking and massaging the user's feet, and a footrest for supporting the user's foot. Usually the user sits on the seat while soaking his or her feet in the basin, which is usually positioned close to the floor in order to minimize the distance that a user must raise his or her feet to soak them.
During a pedicure, calluses and dry, flaky skin are abraded or scraped from the bottom of the feet. The feet are soaked in the basin of the spa in order to soften the skin on the feet. Following this softening, a technician scrubs the bottoms of the feet with a pedicure sander or a similar abrasive article. Technicians will also occasionally use a corn and callus plane to slice thick, tough callus from the feet.
Often, both the technician and the recipient of the pedicure find the pedicure process to be strenuous and tedious. The technician performing the pedicure may maintain a hunched position while exerting appreciable force in performing a repetitive sanding motion for several minutes per customer. In the course of a workday, a technician may require several breaks to recover from fatigue and back pain. Over the long term, the repetitive strain leads to a high rate of attrition as well as costly workplace related injuries. Also, the client must maintain his or her foot at a constant elevation and angle, which can cause muscle strain and discomfort for the client.
In order to facilitate the technician's access to a customer's feet during a pedicure, many conventional pedicure spas include some sort of footrest or an adjustable height basin. While such known devices improve access to the user's feet, they suffer certain shortcomings. For example, they typically include relatively complex and costly elevating mechanisms. Proper use of such a mechanism requires an understanding of the particular spa's technical specifications. As the mechanisms are not standardized, they vary widely in structure and operation from spa to spa. Additionally, such optional features increase the cost of purchasing and maintaining a spa. The elevating mechanisms are also prone to failure because they include many moving components and operate in an environment surrounded by splashing warm water, cleansers and other chemicals. Furthermore, switching from an elevated configuration to a non-elevated configuration can be tedious and time-consuming. Such footrests are, further, often uncomfortable for the user, and can be aesthetically displeasing.
Thus, a foot support solving the aforementioned problems is desired.